The presentation explores the place for extreme citizen science within the landscape of citizen science in general. The first half looks at the history of citizen science and highlights the education transition that happened while citizen science evolved , while the second half explains what is extreme citizen science and the roles of the technological tools that have been developed within the ExCiteS group, with an open invitation for others to join the effort.

1. Extreme Citizen Science – bridging local
& global
Muki Haklay
Extreme Citizen Science (ExCiteS) research group, UCL
@mahakly

2. Outline
• Citizen Science in a historical perspective
• Understanding the current ‘extremities’ of citizen science
• Extending citizen science to the extreme – process, technology
& examples

3. Citizen Science & Science
Early science
(1600’s – early 1800’s)
Professional science
(late 1800’s – 1900’s)
Opening Science
(since 2000s)

4. Citizen Science & Science
Early science
(1600’s – early 1800’s)
Professional science
(late 1800’s – 1900’s)
Opening Science
(since 2000s)
Illiteracy
Basic to High-
school
Higher
Education

5. Citizen Science & Science
Early science
(1600’s – early 1800’s)
Professional science
(late 1800’s – 1900’s)
Opening Science
(since 2000s)
Illiteracy
Basic to High-
school
Higher
Education
Citizen Science
as Gentlemen/
Gentlewomen
science
Mary Anning (1799-1847)

6. Citizen Science & Science
Early science
(1600’s – early 1800’s)
Professional science
(late 1800’s – 1900’s)
Opening Science (since
2000s)
Illiteracy
Basic to High-
school
Higher
Education
Citizen Science
as Gentlemen/
Gentlewomen
science
Citizen Science
diminishing
© WMO–No. 919
Volunteer rainfall observer Rick Grocke checks
the rain gauge at Tanami Downs cattle station in
the Northern Territory of Australia

7. Citizen Science & Science
Early science
(1600’s – early 1800’s)
Professional science
(late 1800’s – 1900’s)
Opening Science
(since 2000s)
Illiteracy
Basic to High-
school
Higher
Education
Citizen Science
as Gentlemen/
Gentlewomen
science
Citizen Science
diminishing
Citizen Science
as open &
inclusive science

8. Biological recording & Environmental
observations

9. Volunteer computing
You can join World Community Grid at http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/

10. Volunteer thinking
See Zooniverse projects at http://www.zooniverse.org/

11. Problem
definition
Data collection
Visualisation &
analysis
Action
Classification
& basic analysis
Basic School
High School
Postgraduate
PhD
Literacy
Current Citizen Science
University/
College

12. Problem
definition
Data collection
Visualisation &
analysis
Action
Classification
& basic analysis
Basic School
High School
University/
College
Postgraduate
PhD
Literacy
Where next for Citizen Science?

13. Extreme Citizen Science
Extreme Citizen Science (ExCiteS) is a situated, bottom-up
practice that takes into account local needs, practices and
culture and works with broad networks of people to design and
build new devices and knowledge creation processes that can
transform the world.
• Technology is an enabler that can allow communities to carry
out their own projects
• Technology must be contextualised and used while respecting
local culture and traditions

14. Jerome Lewis, ExCiteS

15. Engagement: Free, Prior Informed Consent
15

16. Participatory Software design

17. Training and support

18. Ashaninka village “Apiwtxa”
José Frank Melo

19. Community based monitoring

20. Ju|'hoansi people, Nyae Nyae Conservancy
Megan Laws

21. Openness & Control
• Managing community data require free, prior informed
consent (FPIC)
• Some information should be shared, but some information is
sensitive culturally, or shared only with trusted partners
• Community data collection should be linked to tools & social
network that already operate and can help to manage it

22. http://geokey.org.uk/

24. Citizen Science for everyone
• We want leverage the power of geographical technology to allow
any community, regardless of literacy, to develop and own citizen
science projects
• We have data collection tools that are designed for traditional
ecological knowledge (Sapelli, CyberTracker, Open Data Kit - ODK)
• GeoKey provides the infrastructure for managing data
• but can we provide the information back?

25. Towards Intelligent Maps

27. Summary
• Citizen Science re-emerge – more people than ever before
participate in environmental knowledge production and
sharing
• To make this data collection universal, special effort is required
• Participatory design, intermediaries, collaborations , and
sensitive technological development can open up new
possibilities

28. • Follow us:
– http://www.ucl.ac.uk/excites
– Twitter: @UCL_ExCiteS
– Blog: http://uclexcites.wordpress.com
• The work of ExCiteS is supported
by EPSRC, EU FP7, RGS, Esri, FPP,
Forests Monitor, WRI and all the
communities that we’ve worked
with over the years